Not Forgiving And Never Forgetting
by AStitchedUpHeart
Summary: 'Fred Weasley was a joker, a lover of life, a friend of many... a brother of many... my brother' Percy has difficulties in forgiving himself at Fred's funeral.


_**Written for the Big Sis/Lil' Sis Competition and the Weasley-Potter-Prewett Challenge: George Weasley**_

**Not Forgiving and Never Forgetting**

A sunny May afternoon found the grounds of Hogwarts teeming with mourners. They had all received the same invitation: inviting them to an afternoon of memorial for all who were lost in the Second Wizarding War. A make-shift stage had been erected and surrounding it were pictures of the deceased, pictures that depicted a scene of happiness before their untimely death. Standing upon the stage was Percy Weasley, he took a deep breath and began.

'Fred Weasley was a joker, a lover of life, a friend of many... a brother of many... my brother. A few short months ago, I would've denied all of that. You were no more of a brother to me than Merlin was, though it was through no fault of your own. Well I say that, flinging parsnips at me on Christmas Day didn't exactly help the cause. It took me two days to extract every miniscule fragment of parsnip from my glasses, I'll have you know? I hope you were happy.

'Three years ago I made the most selfish decision I had ever made in my life; I was blinded by the power that the Ministry provided me. I pushed everyone away from me, especially you Dad, and for that I apologise. Fred, you and George did everything you could to make my life miserable and reflecting upon it, you had the right to. I was not a brother to you, and that is the worst insult I can offer. I will never be able to forgive myself about the way I treated everyone, all I hope for is that you saw how sorry I was in the brief moment we were together. I hope that that was enough to rekindle our brotherhood, the one I missed so much out on. I know I don't have the right to ask for your forgiveness, but I am. I forgive you with my entire heart and more. I forgive you for slipping dragon dung in my personal in-tray - yes, I know it was you. I forgive you for calling me Weatherby over and over, I suppose I even forgive you for the whole parsnip incident. Just.

'But enough about me. You were taken from us in the cruellest way possible. Yes we won the war, but we suffered a loss more terrible than I, personally, could ever have imagined. From what I know of you, and it's my greatest regret I don't know more, that's the way you would have wanted to die: in the heat of battle. Fighting for what is right, with a smile on your face.

'Words cannot describe how I felt when I saw you on the ground, but I'll try. It felt as though the world had literally crumbled around me, I was injured but I didn't care. I'd have taken a lot more pain if it ensured that you'd survive. My thoughts revolved only around you, my first memory of you: having a fight with George with your little arms when you were a few weeks old. It was like the reverse of the clichéd line about your life flashing before your eyes. Your life flashed in front of me, with a conspicuous lack of me in it. My eyes clouded over but I did nothing to clear them; I thought that if they were out of focus so much, I could pretend that it wasn't you lying on the cold ground in front of me, just another red-head. But it didn't work. I suppose it's fitting really: all you've felt is anger towards me the past few years. Metaphoric red surrounded you in life, physical red surrounded you in death.

'If you could hear this I know what you'd be saying, "Shut up Perce, you're taking way too long! Give someone else a chance to mourn me." so I shan't take too much longer. I just wanted you to know I will never forgive myself, and you will never be forgotten. This is for you Fred:

_Please remember Fred Weasley._

_A Weasley quite like no other,_

_happiness and laughter dictated his life._

_He loved to laugh and he loved to live,_

_whenever you were around him, joyfulness was rife._

_Please remember Fred Weasley._

_A good man taken before his time,_

_he died for a cause he knew was right._

_If he had to go, it would have been in battle,_

_fighting alongside friends, fighting for the light._

_Please remember Fred Weasley._

_A beater of the highest calibre,_

_who always put in his best for the team._

_He was free on his broomstick,_

_putting his life in danger and flying to the extreme._

_Please remember Fred Weasley._

_An entrepreneur who raked in the galleons,_

_bringing joy to many people in a dark time._

_I tried to support his ambitions,_

_it was quite hard however, when he covered me in slime!_

_Please remember Fred Weasley._

_A joker who caused so many laughs,_

_especially from those who turned into giant canaries!_

_On too many occasions I refused food,_

_for fear of what I'd heard from stories._

_Please remember Fred Weasley._

_A man who's up there shaking his head at me,_

_but hey, at least this isn't about cauldron bottoms!_

_I'll remember Fred Weasley_

'Thank you.'

With that Percy picked up his notes, shuffled them formally and departed the make-shift stage to a light smattering of applause. The tufty-haired wizard who was taking the proceedings returned to his position behind the podium again.

'Thank you Mr Weasley, for that heartbreaking eulogy. It's now time to remember Nymphadora Tonks.'

He passed the stoic face of Andromeda Tonks on the way to his seat, he gave her a brief hug noting, with sadness, that she had lost more than what he had. As he sat, Molly grasped his hand and whispered a brief thank you before turning back to give Andromeda her respect. He also turned to the stage where Andromeda had started her speech.

'My darling Nymphadora,' she began.


End file.
